The present invention relates to an information-processing apparatus and an information-processing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information-processing apparatus and an information-processing method wherein an internal storage means is provided and information is input from an external storage unit.
In addition, the present invention relates to processing to install application software in an information-processing apparatus and an information-processing method.
As an internal storage unit provided in an information-processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), there are a solid memory such as a RAM or a flash memory and an HDD (Hard-Disc Drive). As a storage unit external to the information-processing apparatus, it is possible to employ a variety of portable recording media such as an optical disc, an optical-magnetic disc, a magnetic disc and a memory card.
By the way, a PDA apparatus or the like may activate application software and make an access to a data file of a database. The application software, the data file or the database may be stored in an external storage unit. In some cases, the application software, the data file or the database must be once transferred from an external storage unit to an internal storage unit.
When activating application software and making an access to a data file or a database, such an information-processing apparatus forms a judgment as to whether the application software, the data file or the database are stored in the internal or external storage unit. The information-processing apparatus carries out an operation according to the outcome of the judgment. In order to activate application software stored in an external storage unit such as a memory card, for example, the user first carries out an operation to request that the application software be loaded from the memory card. After the application software has been loaded, it is necessary for the user to carry out an operation to activate the loaded software.
The operations are cumbersome for the user. In addition, since the user must always know whether the target information is stored in the internal or external storage unit, the operations are not simple either. Thus, the information-processing apparatus cannot be said to offer good operatability.
Assume that activated application software uses a data file or a database relevant to the software. In this case, in order to open the data file, it is necessary for the user to carry out an operation to specify a location to be searched for the data file or specify a file to be actually used. For example, the user needs to specify a drive name, a directory name or a file name.
For the purpose described above, however, the user must know the location at which the data file or other information to be used is recorded. The user must form a judgment as to whether the data file or the other information is stored in an internal storage unit or an external storage unit such as a memory card and then carry out an operation according to the outcome of the judgment.
In addition, in the case of a portable and compact information-processing apparatus such as a PDA, the size of the internal storage unit is unavoidably limited. Thus, when an application program is installed in the internal storage unit, the storage area becomes full in many cases.
When the user wants to further add (or install) a new application program in such a circumstance, the user needs to delete or save an already installed program or an already installed data file in another storage medium in order to secure a storage area in the internal storage unit. The already installed application program or data file to be saved may be a program no longer needed or not used frequently. Then, it is necessary to carry out an operation to add the new application program to the existing software by installing the program in the secured storage area.
However, stress is much developed in the user by the fact that it is difficult as well as cumbersome to carry out the work to form of a judgment as to whether or not an already installed application program or data file is still required, the fact that it takes labor to carry out the work of deleting an existing application program or data file no longer required or used infrequently and the fact that the work to set a location for saving an application program or a data file and to set a connection to the location is troublesome. It takes also much time to carry out these works. The user's stress and the much time caused by these works are a problem.